The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve in Central Florida seeks friendly, flexible, environmentally conscious volunteer(s) for 3-6 months from October 2021 - April 2022! Come live and serve on a serene 11,500 acre preserve near Florida wildlife and a community of welcoming staff and volunteers. Qualified singles or couples of all backgrounds and identities are encouraged to apply.

FHU (water/sewer/electric) is provided for 32 hours of volunteer work on weekends assisting with visitor engagement, outreach, events, cleaning and organization, volunteer coordination, and place-based education. Experience in environmental education and multimedia design is preferred. 

Learn more about the preserve: www.nature.org/disneypreserve

Register here: https://evergladesfoundation-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0YsGKESBSg2tTc04IaCg4w

Get certified in climate education by participating in the next cohort of the Climate Action Academy.

  10 hours of online modules over the course of 4 weeks on:

→ Understanding the climate crisis globally and locally

→ Trends in climate education

→ Tools and activities for climate action

→ Climate action lessons and project integration

  Sign up at https://2811.teachable.com/p/climate-action-academy3 

Led by 2811 and Young Innovators Climate-KIC, the Climate Action Academy is an interactive online certification designed for educators who seek to empower youth with the knowledge and skills to transform climate concern into action.

Participants receive resources about education for climate action, are guided to accelerate climate action in their schools, join an international network of sustainability-minded teachers, and earn a certificate from Climate-KIC.

  Start on June 14, 2021

The certification has a value of $120 per teacher with scholarships and special group rates available.

Together we can change the present for a sustainable future

.

In partnership with the NSF funded openVertebrate project, we are pleased to announce the UF CPET 2021 Summer Science Institute:  3D vertebrates: From museum shelves to classrooms. This virtual professional learning opportunity will take place Monday, June 21 – Friday, June 25, 2021. Participants will learn about generating digital 3D objects from vertebrate collections in natural history museums, have the chance to explore ways to incorporate them in the classroom, and work in small groups (~3 teachers) with a scientist to develop learning activities based on their research and career path. Educators will be collaboratively designing activities for use in their own classroom, so all middle and high school science teachers are welcome to apply. Learning activities should align with one or more of the following topics:  function, anatomy, evolution, paleontology. We anticipate ~three hours synchronously each day with time to be determined to best fit the time zones of all participants as well as additional collaborative work time and individual planning.


TO APPLY:

Interested educators are invited to apply using the on-line application portal<https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8JwcJucC8CPyGZD>.


Applications will be reviewed, and invitations extended on a rolling basis starting May 15.

For questions, please contact Dr. Julie Bokor at julie@cpet.ufl.edu<mailto:julie@cpet.ufl.edu> or 352.392.2310.


More information can also be found at:  http://bit.ly/overt2021 and https://www.cpet.ufl.edu


OVERVIEW:

The biology of vertebrate animals provides opportunities to students to learn about anatomy, function, evolution, and paleontology. Participants in this workshop will gain a hands-on introduction to vertebrate diversity through lectures, discussion with scientists and students, and virtual visits to the museum scientific collections to see rare specimens of both living and extinct species. While scientists visiting natural history museums around the world have access to these unique specimens to understand vertebrate biology, this is a resource that students and the public rarely see or even know about. Using three-dimensional imaging as part of the openVertebrate project (or oVert) funded by the US National Science Foundation (https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/overt/), we are creating digital specimens that can be viewed in the classroom, digitally dissected, 3D-printed, and more. Participants in this program will learn about working with these resources and develop teaching modules that convey key concepts in anatomy, function, and evolution.


The professional learning program:
Following a general introduction to vertebrate diversity, participants will learn how scientists and students investigate anatomy, function, and evolution using digital three-dimensional anatomical data. During the week, brief presentations from and discussions with research faculty and graduate students highlight the diversity of studies utilizing museum collections as well as provide context to develop classroom lessons. Working in small groups, participants and scientists will work together to brainstorm ideas for translating the oVert project into classroom materials and fully developed learning activities for implementation during the 2021/2022 school year. Emphasis will be placed on translating principles in functional anatomy and evolution into effective teaching materials incorporating digital 3D objects. The workshop will conclude with presentations by participants on the teaching materials they developed during the course of the week.


Our scientist collaborators include:

From the University of Florida oVert team and leading the project:

Dr. Dave Blackburn, Florida Museum of Natural History:  https://www.blackburnlab.org/
Dr. Jaimi Gray, Florida Museum of Natural History:  https://www.blackburnlab.org/
Dr. Ed Stanley, Florida Museum of Natural History:  www.EdwardStanley.org<http://www.edwardstanley.org/>, www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/digital-lab<http://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/digital-lab>
Dr. Kory Evans, Rice University: https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/kory-evans
Dr. Todd Green, New York Institute of Technology: https://www.nyit.edu/bio/tgreen09
Dr. Hillary Maddin, Carleton University: https://earthsci.carleton.ca/people/faculty-members/hillary-maddin
Dr. Al Savitzky, Utah State University: https://biology.usu.edu/research/lab_sites/savitzky-lab/savitzky_lab
Dr. Stephanie Smith, Field Museum of Natural History: https://www.stephaniemariesmith.com/
Dr. Katie Stanchak, University of Washington: https://www.katiestanchak.com/


EDUCATOR EXPECTATIONS:

  *   Develop a learning activity based on the oVert project addressing at least one of the following topics: anatomy, function, evolution, paleontology;
  *   Implement the oVert learning activity you develop in your classroom/s by the end of the 2022 spring semester;
  *   Agree to administer a brief survey to your students after implementation;
  *   Submit a brief report summarizing the implementation of your oVert learning activity; and
  *   Provide feedback to the oVert project team.



oVert Educators:

Acceptance to the Summer Science Institute: 3D Vertebrates, From Museum Shelves to Classrooms is a competitive application process. We are looking for phenomenal secondary teachers who are leaders in the classroom, particularly with the use of innovative pedagogical approaches and technologies. We welcome applicants from across the United States and Canada. Participants will receive a stipend depending on level of participation throughout the program and paid by semester.



TO APPLY:

Interested educators are invited to apply using the on-line application portal<https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8JwcJucC8CPyGZD>. You can return to the on-line application<https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8JwcJucC8CPyGZD> and continue working from the same computer. However, we suggest you draft your personal statements in word processing software and paste them into the text boxes. This will allow you ample time to compose complete responses and edit as necessary.



Applications will be reviewed, and invitations extended on a rolling basis. Interested educators are encouraged to submit their application by May 15.

For questions, please contact Dr. Julie Bokor at julie@cpet.ufl.edu<mailto:julie@cpet.ufl.edu> or 352.392.2310.



More information can also be found at:  http://bit.ly/overt2021 and https://www.cpet.ufl.edu

Please join us May 20th at 7pm as we resume our LEEF Speaker Series: Free for members, $5 for non-members.

About the Presentation

In her presentation titled, “Teaching for Collective Environmental Action,” Sahar Arbab will discuss why she believes the environmental education field needs to move away from a focus on individual behavior and instead prioritize systemic change. Using examples from her own teaching, Sahar will demonstrate how she is working to prepare young people to take action in their communities and beyond.  Sahar will also discuss the characteristics of strong youth-adult partnerships and how to meaningfully bring young people to the decision-making table.

About the Presenter

Sahar Arbab has spent most of her career working in the environmental education field. She has dug in urban gardens alongside youth, managed teen internship programs, and trained classroom teachers. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she moved to Washington state in 20

16 to pursue graduate studies at Western Washington University. After graduating, she worked for two years as a Program Coordinator with Washington Green Schools. Sahar also spent a summer working for Grist as a 2019 fellow with the University of Michigan’s Environmental Fellows Program. Sahar currently manages a career pathway program at King County Parks. She is passionate about creating educational programs informed by communities’ environmental concerns. In her free time she enjoys trail running, reading, cooking, and hiking with her partner and two dogs.

Register Now

Join us for the 30th Annual Environmental Educators of North Carolina Conference at Lutheridge Arden, NC from Friday, September 10 to Saturday, September 11, 2021.  This will also be the Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance (SEEA) regional conference. 

Our 2021 SEEA/EENC conference theme is rEEmerge, honoring new beginnings as we celebrate EENC's 30th anniversary.  Join us as we re-imagine a post-COVID world for Environmental Education; a world with diverse partnerships, resilient communities, and a broader concept of what it means to be an Environmental Educator.

Enjoy a conference full of professional development, networking, learning, and field experiences that will help you expand your knowledge of EE and resources in NC and beyond! Plan ahead now for pre-conference workshops, field trips, and more on Thursday, September 9.

The call for proposals for general sessions and the research symposium are now available. Proposals are due May 24.

If you have any questions about the conference, please contact Chris Goforth and Shannon Culpepper, Conference Co-chairs at conference@eenc.org.

The Power of Connection

Share your latest work with the environmental education community by submitting a proposal for the NAAEE's 50th Annual Conference and 18th Annual Research Symposium. You can also help shape the program content by volunteering to review proposals. For more information: conference.naaee.org 

Living Shorelines Training for Marine Contractors

Register Here

Live Virtual Field Trips

Want something fun and educational to offer your students? We can live stream from our swamp into your google classroom to interact with your students in real time. Broadcasting from the waters of the marsh, we will show them what lives within the peat of the Everglades, feature animal adaptations, and discuss human impacts to their habitats. Then we will slog through our Cypress Swamp to share the adaptations of the forest and highlight the resources that the native Americans used for survival.

 

Email mcrider@wpb.org to reserve a date for your class. We have limited dates, so hurry to get yours reserved today.

 

Live Animal Presentations & Custom Programming

We are offering new programs with live animals; do a virtual meet and greet with birds of prey, alligators, and more. Customize the presentation to be geared toward standards you are discussing in your classroom at this time. These presentations are combined with a science-based hands-on activity to further engage your students. Sign up for a custom program only or pair it with the live virtual field trip described below to further emphasize scientific concepts.

 

Email mcrider@wpb.org for more information or to schedule a date.

Other Virtual Classroom Resources

We have Next Generation Sunshine State Standard specific videos and activities available: https://www.wpb.org/government/public-utilities/grassy-waters-preserve/on-site-field-trips/classroom-lesson-resources

Below are some of our favorites, visit the link above to see all the videos, associated worksheets, and activities:

 

K-2 Everglades Classroom: Habitats: https://youtu.be/BohpuTJKZvs

3 - 5 Everglades Classroom: Animal Adaptations:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPcc8msAu4c

 

6 -12 Everglades Classroom: Everglades Animals: https://youtu.be/WyG3qmIHC_U

         

**Help Us Track Our Virtual Outreach**

If you use our resources, please email us the name of your school, grade, and number of students in your virtual classroom, so we can track our education outreach for our administration.  

Recreation Specialist, Orange County Parks and Recreation

Site Supervisor I, Orange County Parks and Recreation

Florida 4-H State Camping and Environmental Education Coordinator, University of Florida

Education Coordinator, Manatee Observation and Education Center